I didn't feel it was too crowded. For those folks who'd like a cut back: would you be happy if you were one of those left on the outside?

No big announcements about my work, no big celebrity sightings, but I did meet some folks I liked a lot, had some great conversations, took photos, and had many drinks bought for me every night. All in all, it was a very good con.

I was one of those persons who took a stroller and 8 month old to the Con, and I'd just like to say --- that stroller and child is no bigger than half the fans on the show floor. Most of the people I ran into were rude people trying to jump over the stroller and grab a sticker or postcard. And I protect my child, thank you very much. I mostly stayed to the lesser traveled areas unless there was a specific reason to go to the more crowded areas. And I paid more than enough to go wherever the hell I pleased however the hell I pleased with whomever the hell I pleased. My daughter's safety and happiness was paramount, and I missed most of the signings and panels I wanted to see because I was catering to her and my wife. And I had absolutely no problem with that. Anyone complaining about the kids at the Con either have no children or have forgotten what it is like to be one. In other words, shut up. BTW, I didn't get run over by one single stroller, even my own when the wife was driving. Maybe paying attention to my surroundings and not being rude helped a bit. I've been going to this event for 9 years, and I've rarely been run over by anything but a rabid fan looking for freebies. Maybe we should ban THEM.

The main problem with the Con this year was the programming schedule. The panels were fine once you got into one, but getting in was really tough. Last year the panel schedule was perfect. I was able to get into every panel I wanted, including the Hall H and Ballroom 20 panels. This year I could not get into the single panel I wished to attend because I didn't go stand in line 4 hours prior to the panel. They put historically popular panels in the smallest rooms and didn't make adjustments when the room hit capacity 4 hours before the panel even started. Every single person I spoke with was unhappy with the schedule, and those who attended last year felt that was much better.

Word is that the SD convention center is set to expand (thank fucking christ) so it'll probably only be for one year, unless it performs overwhelmingly better in LA or LV.

Defcon, the hax0rz convention, is usually out in Vegas about a week before SDCC. I'm pretty sure there's a porn convention out there around the same time. If SDCC moved out there, It'd be the equivalent of a nerd hat trick.

Hmmm. An LVCC is an intriguing thought. Lots of hotels, Gi-farging-enormous convention venues. They could use the hotel showrooms for previews.

I used to help run booths at the big old COMDEX and CES shows. I remember hearing that the city didn't like these shows much because computer industry people weren't as much into gambling and booze as, say, the mens' clothing shows. A comics convention might have similar "problems." Of course, the hotels could tack ten bucks onto the price of the buffets and make it all up.

I had a blast meeting so many of you and personally and immediately took every one of your very kind, overwhelmingly-positive comments on GRAVEL and STREETS OF GLORY to heart. Thanks so much for caring so damn much! I was also very pleased to absorb by osmosis the sheer, smiling joy that was expressed whenever anyone mentioned WOLFSKIN. Those who dig it REALLY dig it.

As with last year's con, it's easy to boil down 5 days into one singular, stand-out moment that simply says, "Comic Con". Last year was the overheard comment, "Dude... Did you just step on my lightsabre?" I think this year's quote tops that one:

A very large gentlemen stood in front of the Avatar booth, looking puzzled, confused and intensely interested. He looked at the books in his hands... He looked up to examine our display posters... He looked down at the comics for sale... Wiped the sweat from his brow... He looked at the books in his hands again... Back to the display posters. I had to know what it was that was going through this guy's head. "Can I help you with something?"

And then he asked, with all sincerity, the most baffling, mind-numbing query I've ever heard.

The main problem with the Con this year was the programming schedule. The panels were fine once you got into one, but getting in was really tough. Last year the panel schedule was perfect. I was able to get into every panel I wanted, including the Hall H and Ballroom 20 panels. This year I could not get into the single panel I wished to attend because I didn't go stand in line 4 hours prior to the panel. They put historically popular panels in the smallest rooms and didn't make adjustments when the room hit capacity 4 hours before the panel even started.

Yeah, agreed that they made poor choices of what rooms to put things in. It doesn't strike me as an operation that can make changes, including room changes, on the fly, but perhaps they could expand nighttime programming or open up a few more accordion walls to make bigger rooms. People keep mentioning that the con could be expanded to nearby hotels. Perhaps the meeting rooms should be the first to make the jump and then those rooms would be available for panels?

I'd have to look back at the schedule but there seemed to be fewer panels at any given time on Sunday. Better use of Sunday would be a good move. They could have pushed some kid-friendly popular stuff to Ballroom 20 on Sunday and shifted "Harold and Kumar" and "Hamlet 2" to late night time slots earlier in the weekend.

@sgzax:It's a pity that you missed artist's alley and the the indie comics guys. If they don't make any radical changes for next year, here's what you do:

There's actually a back entrance to the exhibition hall that drops you into a clear path to both. I can't remember how you get there from the 2nd floor but you take the stairway near where the SCA people have their booths and do their sword battle demos.

Alternately, enter through door B and head straight back through the Gold and Silver age of comics section and you'll end up among the super-small indie folks. Bear left and you'll end up among the smaller companies. Straight back and take a left at the very last row and you'll reach artist's alley (which I hope they move next year into the sails pavilion which I think has plenty of potential to be better used.).

The day players who are only there for the movie previews and ginormous freebie bags tend not to haunt the areas that are freebie-less and strictly comics-oriented. I used this to my advantage when maneuvering the hall.

It's well documented that both Whammo and Parker Brothers came up with the process for creating zombies in the early Sixties, which lead to a precedent-setting Supreme Court decision that the process was, in fact, public domain. The news of this was driven to the back pages of all the major newspapers in the country by powerful lobbyists, and the whole subject was stricken from the corporate records of both companies, but the prevailing articles in various Pittsburgh journals did not go unnoticed by a young George Romero....

Fucking GREAT SDCCC. I will say in 22 years of going, I've never had it be that nuts/crazy/busy/hectic or wonderful. I avoided SDCC SARS by liberally using antibacterial gel FREQUENTLY.

We sold out all the HC editions of Comic Book Tattoo in 3 hours (125 of them) and all the SC editions (275) in less than 24 hours, as well as the last 50 of the leather bound, gold leaf, slipcased signed, numbered, lettered editions. Panel and signing(s) went great, excellent to get to spend time getting to know Kako and Peov, two of the creators from Brazil, and getting to have the CBT tab;e next to the '5'/Pixu table with the twins, Cloonan, etc was fucking awesome. Henry is adorable, and I ALMOST feel human after sleeping for 14 hours.

...but I did not get to see ANYTHING on the floor, as I was going from booths, to interviews, to meetings, the entire time. Didn't drink a damn thing either other than red bull. rockstars, and diet pepsi max. And chain smoked whenever I could.

Christ, what a time. It was wicked crowded, but met some great people. Brett Lewis was funny as fuck, J.H. Williams was surprisingly approachable and agreeable. Witnessed Hare Krishnas dancing down 5th, met The League of S.T.E.A.M, and partied with Jim Lee Saturday night until 4 in the morning.

TAKE THAT, returns at Blog@Newsarama from this past weekend's San Diego Comic-Con, offering a unique convention report/journal from one of the most talked about celebrities at the show - WATCHMEN'S Rorschach! Have a look:

RORSCHACH’S JOURNAL.July 22nd, 2008

Dog carcass in alley this morning, tire tread on burst stomach. The streets are extended gutters and the gutters are full of blood.

No one notices. Chesty girl in Elektra costume walks by and lecherous men stop to take photos. Hurm.